Alexis Tsipras

By Stefanos Manos *

By Karl Stagno Navarra & Alessandro Speciale

European Central Bank President Mario Draghi told Greek officials they face a critical situation and must let euro-area representatives return to Athens if they are ever going to obtain more aid, according to two European officials.

Greece agreed to start urgent technical talks on extending its crucial bailout on Wednesday after its eurozone partners accused debt-stricken Athens of wasting time in previous negotiations.

Greece?s opposition parties have called on SYRIZA and its Attica Governor Rena Dourou to publicly condemn a leftist councillor after she launched a verbal assault on a journalist via Twitter.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras would be welcome to visit Berlin, a German government spokeswoman said on Monday, but there are no concrete plans for a visit at the moment.

The leftist Greek leader is not currently on Berlin's guest list, said spokeswoman Christiane Wirtz, adding: «He remains welcome in Germany and in Berlin especially."

European finance ministers urged Greece on March 9 to stop wasting time in talks on its crucial bailout as debt-stricken Athens warned of a possible referendum if its reform plans are rejected.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker are due to meet in Brussels on Friday morning, the former?s office said on Monday.

Today's Eurogroup meeting is Greece's last chance to avoid default and a possible Grexit, according to certain press reports out of Germany, with one particularly high-pitch article claiming that Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis seeks to "blackmail" the country's European partners by warning of a referendum or snap elections if the latest SYRIZA government plan is not approved.

A large majority of Greeks want Athens to reach a compromise deal with international lenders to avoid having to leave the euro zone, according to a survey published on Monday.

New Democracy?s parliamentary spokesman Kyriakos Mitsotakis has accused Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis of being a danger to Greece.

The Finance Ministry was forced on Sunday to deny a report in Corierre della Serra newspaper that Varoufakis had claimed the government would call a referendum on euro membership if its eurozone partners reject its reform proposals.